The University of Michigan proposes to form a musculoskeletal research core center focused on bone. The purpose of this core center is to facilitate increased interactions among clinical investigators and basic scientists who are dedicated towards the study of bone, its disorders and their possible treatment. The core research center is organized to enrich the current research programs, as well as stimulate new endeavors by providing its members with access to unique research core facilities, pilot funding mechanisms and significant research and educational enrichment program. While the proposed core research center will be designed to support the free breadth of bone research activities at the University of Michigan, it will have a particular focus on promoting a hierarchical approach to the study of bone from basic molecular mechanisms through clinical assessment and therapy. This paradigm was specifically chosen as a means to most effectively draw investigators from multiple disciplines together, to take fundamental characterizations of bone and clinical need. Within this hierarchical paradigm, several sub themes emerge, including studies of developmental biology of bone, mechanical signal transduction and response, tissue engineering and gene therapy approaches towards the treatment of bone defects or disorders, and the study of bone fragility in aging or disease. The Bone Research Core Center brings together 57 faculty members representing six colleges and 22 depar6tments from the University of Michigan and from neighboring Henry Ford Hospital and Michigan State University. Twelve of these investigators are new to the field of bone research and bring exciting and new perspectives. The Bone Research Core Center will support four research core facilities ranging from a microarray analysis core to a bone cell molecular and functional analysis core. The administrative core of the Center will support a variety of activities including symposia, annual retreats and educational programs that are specifically designed to increase collaborations among Center members, stimulate research in new directions and enhance the cohesiveness among all of the Center members.